Donald Trump and his White House took using government resources to put money into his pockets to a brazen new level Tuesday, treating his participation in a marketing event at one of his Scotland golf resorts as an official act worthy of promotion by taxpayer-funded staff.
The convicted felon president’s “ribbon-cutting” ceremony at his golf resort was listed on the daily schedule released by the White House. When Trump gave a speech predicting it would be “a tremendously successful place,” it was carried live by the White House YouTube channel. When he began playing a round there, his staff posted video of it in real time on social media.
“It’s the very definition of corruption,” said Norm Eisen, who served as the top ethics lawyer in the Obama White House. “Using his official position and government resources to benefit himself.”
White House officials did not respond to HuffPost’s queries.
On two previous instances when Trump participated in events explicitly benefiting his own financial interests, White House staff at least publicly appeared to keep an arms-length distance, even as Trump used government resources and the imprimatur of the presidency to promote them.
